15-2-2012 Anti-Semitism
Thailand officials on Wednesday said that the Israeli diplomats including the Ambassador were the target of the Tuesday's failed bomb attacks in Bangkok. They also said that magnet-based bombs were used. Meanwhile, the second Iranian suspect, who is yet to be charged, has denied any involvement in the explosions.

Thai authorities probing the links between explosions in Thailand and those in India and Georgia on Tuesday said that bombs being used by the Iranian suspects were designed to target individuals and did not appear to be intended for large scale acts of terrorism.

A National Security Council official said that the bombs that exploded in a central Bangkok neighbourhood were intended to attack certain individuals, and were not for terrorism or sabotage, as they were made of materials that could not cause large-scale destruction.

The Thai authorities are examining materials that were used to make the bombs to find if they were of the same type as those used in the New Delhi bombing.

According to reports, 2 of the 3 suspected bombers were Iranian nationals. One of them was critically injured while hurling a bomb at the police. He was later cornered and detained. The Thailand Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, has reassured all tourists issuing a statement that Thailand is not a terror target. Ten countries have already issued travel advisories.

Chief of Thai Police said that they had been alerted about the threat of a potential bomb attack. However, the Thailand government has downplayed the terrorism angle. The embassy in Delhi though has stepped up security following these blasts. The incident proved that Iran and its proxies continued to use terror curing all potential targets.

Council secretary-general Wichean Photephosree told reporters after a meeting with representatives of security agencies, including the armed forces, Royal Thai Police Office, and the Foreign Ministry, that it was not clear that the bombs were intended for acts of terrorism, judging from materials used to make the bombs.

The authorities were probing if Tuesday's incident was linked to the near-simultaneous attacks targeting Israeli diplomats in Georgia and India.

Israel's ambassador to Thailand Itzhak Shoham said that the suspects involved in assembling bombs here were "part of the same network" that targeted Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia. While the attacks in India and Georgia were near simultaneous, the one in Thailand came within 24 hours of the them.